Nigeria has lifted the ban on Twitter, seven months after clamping down on the social networking site.
Nigeria’s government suspended Twitter last June after the company deleted a tweet by president Muhammadu Buhari about punishing regional secessionists.
Authorities accused the social media firm of siding with the secessionists. But the government said it was reversing the ban after Twitter agreed to conditions including opening a local office in Nigeria.
The move allows millions of people in Africa’s most populous nation to use the platform again. Some users had continued to access the site after the suspension using virtual private networks (VPNs), but the government vowed to clamp down on those still tweeting, including media organizations.
The move last year by Nigeria’s government sparked international outcry over freedom of speech.
Twitter has not yet commented on Nigeria’s decision to lift the ban.
Twitter is popular with many Nigerians, and the platform has been used as a mobilizing tool. Activists used it to rally support during protests against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSars, which gained global attention.
